Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-12-17
lR r. An n's WRONGS.

lRELANn's WRONGS.
q Crest Mass Meeting IN Washington t6
Givo V0ic0 20 America's Sympathy
Home.Rn1o spee0hes ~ Senators Sher-
man, Ingalls,, HawIey and Othors-Res-
olutions Adopted.
WAsHnsaroN. Dec i s. Sir Thomas Henry
Grattan Esmonlle and Hon Arthur or Con-
nor, leaders of the Irish home rule cause
IN the English Parliament. arrived in this
city yesterday afternoon. In the evening
they We're rendered q reception by the Irish
societies at the Masonic Temple
Senator ingalls, was to have presided, but
N his absence Senator Sherman was elected
chairman amid great cheering Upon tax
ing the chair Senator Sherman made q
lengthy speech, q synopsis OF his remarks
being as follows
an American, and as an American he took
pleasure in saying that he believed he spoke
the general voice Of the people OF the United
States when he said to. the distinguished
guests that the sympathy of Amer
lea went forth fully and heartily In the
strong desire that they might have home rule
In ireland to the full extent demanded by Par
have home rule? Americans felt that they
were born to govern themselves, ana
they had home rule not only in the
Nation but in every part of their
great organization OF States. Our Nation, armed
with limited powers, was but the creature Of
the people. Everywhere in. our country there
was, or ought to be, free and equal rights and
equal privileges among all the citizens OF the
United States. IApplause.l
BE wanted to see Ireland possess the same
rights as those enjoyed by the people of the
United States [app1ausel, and he believed that
IN this sentiment the general voice
OF the people went with him. It was
not because they were Irishmen, but be-
cause they were freemen and deserved
this sentiment. No country could be free
unless it was formed by the people OF
the community; and home rule meant
. government OF the people, by the
people and for the people, [Applause.]
Why was it the British Government de-
MED to the gem Of the British empire
what was conferred on all Its colonies? Irish
men had led in advance Of all the great battles
which England had fought for two centuries,
Irish poets had not only made the love songs
for the men and women of the world but had
written the national anthems Of that great en-
pire. Ireland had furnished the Demosthenes
and Ciceros Of modern times ireland had pro-
duced great men In every branch OF life.
All the American people desired for this people
OF kindred race was the right to govern them
selves-not to break down the British empire
but to pass laws affecting their local interests
without the interference Of the British Parlia-
ment.
At the conclusion of Senator Sherman's
remarks he resigned the chairmanship to
Senator Ingalls,, who had entered tho hall
while he was speaking. Senator Ingalls,,
upon taking the chair, in brief said:
The meeting had been gathered for the pur-
pose OF saying that the cause Of Ireland was the
cause OF America [great applause]; that
in a deeper and wiser sense it was
not only the cause of Ireland, but OF
humanity itself. Were he still more OBJ
scure politician than he was, he should
not hesitate to say that il we were called
upon to choose between expressing our
sympathies for Great Britain or for Ireland In
this contest no American citizen would long
hesitate as to what his preference would be- He
did not understand, he said, that the Irish rep
resentatives Of home rule desired to interfere
with the unity Of the British empire, but
Great Britain should not forget that there
was nothing SO dangerous and SO Improbable
as injustice. Great Britain should not forget
that 100000 people determined to be free
could never be enslaved. Great Britain should
not forget that 3,OOO0OO citizens in the original
independence under far less provocation than
the 100000 Irish people have endured for cent
uries. [Applause.l
He did not desire to intrude upon the comfy
of nations, but he could not forget that q brutal
and degraded British soldiery, within the mem
ory OF men who might now be within the hear
ing OF his voice, had sacked and burned this
capital. He could not forget that in every great
crisis in American history we have had to con.
w will ar,6 oil ~ Tho
governing GLASSES of Great Britain.
In conclusion, referring to the rebellion, he
said: II shall never cease to remember that
during that awful period there was not bat.
tle-feld for American liberty which was not il.
Illustrated by Irish valor and consecrated by
Irish blood
He then introduced Mr.. Arthur o. Conner,
who was received with cheers. Mr.. o. Con-
nor spoke eloquently of the wrongs en-
dured by Ireland during the 700 years
of English rule, and proceeded to draw
vivid picture Of the oppression and
hardship to which the Irish people were
compelled to bow, and detailed the de:
mands which the Home-Rule party made
uron the British Government If allowed
to manage her own affairs, Ireland would in
q few years present to the world picture
Of a people united, peaceable, industrious,
contented and happy.
Senator Hawley, the next speaker, said he
Joined very gladly in the welcome to these
distinguished representatives of the great
Liberal party OF the British empire His
heart was with them. There was no real
American looking ct the great
breadth, strength and final purpose of that
party who could withhold his
hearty admiration and love. He predicted
local self-government in Ireland, and
that it would be followed by local self-gov-
ernments in Scotland, Wales, and perhaps
Subdivisions of England, until we had a
United States Of Great Britain
Sir Esmonde spoke Of the encouragement
which this meeting would lend to the Irish
cause
Representative Springer, Of Illinois, said
he thought we had 100 years ago served
sufficient notice upon Great Britain as to
our own sentiments on home rule but some
of her statesmen had not apparently read
that part of Great Britain's history.
Resolutions were unanimously adopted
extending hearty greeting to Messrs
Esmonde and O'Connor, solemnly protest
ing In the name Of humanity against the
Tory policy toward Ireland as being sub
versive of liberty, Of right, of Justice, of the
freedom OF speech and the freedom OF
the press; declaring that the people Of Ire
land may well arraign their oppressors be-
fore the civilized world; expressing ad.
miration for and confidence in Par.
nell and the Irish Parliamentary party
thanking Mr. Gladstone in behalf
Of the American people for his
course toward Ireland; pledging anan.
cial aid to the Irish people; sympa.
thizing also with the English people, who
can never have, good b. government while
Ireland has bad government, and because
the action Of the Liberal party has drawn
Great Britain and the United States neare,
together